Summer in Smallville
by UnicornVamp2125
Summary: Fed up with his rebellious daughter, General Sam Lane sends Lois to spend the summer with her uncle Gabe and cousin Chloe in Smallville, also known as Nowheresville, USA, to learn her lesson. The last thing she expects is to fall in love. AU. Summer of 2002.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so, this is my first Smallville story. I recently, in the past couple months, got introduced to Smallville and fell in love with it. I've been dabbling in Smallville fanfiction since, but this is the first I've completed. There's nine chapters in all, and I should be able to post them not too far apart. Also, I have plans for two sequels, so I hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville. That is all. **

Lois Lane was most certainly not happy.

She was sitting in the passenger seat in the General's jeep, watching as rows and rows of _corn_ passed by her window. And the occasional cow. But mostly corn.

Groaning, Lois sunk lower into her seat, rolling her eyes. The heat in the jeep was getting to be too much, so she pressed down on the button for the power window. The slight breeze ruffled her bangs and brought with it the smell of…

"Smells wholesome," the General commented gruffly. Lois knew it was just to spite her.

"Smells like manure and prison," Lois muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

A sign flew by her window, claiming that they were entering Smallville, the meteor capital of the world.

"You brought this upon yourself, Lo," he reminded her, like she _needed_ a reminder.

Lois let out another groan, letting her head drop against the passenger door as she remembered the circumstances of her upcoming exile in hell.

_Lois stumbled out of the car, laughing when her legs nearly gave out beneath her, her body falling back against the car. Christina rounded the front of the car, laughing at Lois's expense. "I thought you could hold your liquor, Lane," she commented._

"_I can," Lois insisted. "But I swear some of that _wasn't_ liquor." At this, both girls began snorting in laughter. _

"_Do you think our dads noticed we were gone?" Christina asked, glancing around almost nervously._

_Lois waved away her concerns carelessly. "Naw. We weren't gone that long."_

"_Only about six hours."_

_Lois and Christina both stood up ramrod straight, turning to find the General fixing them with a commanding stare. _

"_Daddy," Lois greeted belatedly, wincing._

_The General turned to Christina. "Admiral Thomas is waiting for you in his office, young lady." Christina hung her head and nodded, slinking away to face the music. Lois bit her lip and waited for her punishment. "I have had _enough_ of this, Lois Joanne."_

"_Daddy –" Lois tried, but the General didn't allow her to finish._

"_This is the fourth time in two months I've caught you sneaking back on base _drunk_. You are _fifteen_. This is the _last straw_." Lois swallowed heavily and waited for whatever horrible punishment the General had thought up this time. "I'm sending you to stay with your uncle for the summer in Smallville."_

_Lois's jaw dropped open in complete horror. "Daddy! You _can't_! That's….that's the middle of _nowhere_!"_

_The General's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Perhaps you should've thought of that _before_, young lady."_

Lois gave an almighty sigh as she lifted her head only to drop it back against the door once, twice, three times… Maybe she could give herself a head injury, and the General would _have_ to take her with him…

"Stop that," the General snapped.

No such luck.

"Are we almost there?" Lois asked tonelessly.

"Can't wait to start your summer?" He continued to spite her, and Lois had to hold her tongue. She didn't want to piss him off even more and cause him to make her _live_ in Smallville. She shuddered at the idea.

"I can't wait to see _Chloe_," Lois corrected him. Her cousin was the one bright spot in all of this. She hadn't seen her favorite cousin since they were both young, after Lois's mother had died. She had missed her dearly. They used to be as close as sisters, closer than Lois was to her actual sister. But, over the years, they'd drifted apart, only sending each other the occasional email and or phone call. Still, Lois knew enough. She knew that Chloe had a crazy crush on some farm boy born and raised in Smallville. Personally, Lois thought that Chloe could do ten times better than some farmer, but to each their own.

The General turned down a road lined with rows and rows of houses, stopping at one that didn't look any different from the others. But, then the front door was opened and Chloe appeared.

"Lois!" she cried excitedly, hurrying down the steps.

Lois unbuckled her seat belt and jumped out of the jeep, meeting Chloe halfway. "Chloe!" she greeted happily, throwing her arms around the smaller girl. "How's my baby cousin?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, but returned the hug just as forcefully. "I've told you to stop calling me that. You're only six months older."

"But six months is six months, meaning you're my baby cuz, cuz." Giving Chloe a final squeeze, she pulled back and grinned at her. "I'm here for my exile."

Chloe gave Lois another roll of the eyes, wrapping an arm around her. "What did you do, anyway?"

"All I did was a _little_ drinking," Lois insisted.

"That was why you could barely stand on your own," the General muttered, taking Lois's bags from the backseat of the jeep and placing them at Lois's feet. "Have a nice summer, soldier." With a stiff nod, he got back in the jeep and immediately reversed out of the driveway.

"See you, Dad," Lois sighed, rolling her eyes as the jeep disappeared down the road.

Chloe turned to Lois, grinning. "Don't worry about the General, Lois. We have the entire summer together!"

Lois cracked a smile, unable to be unaffected by her cousin's enthusiasm. "You're right, Chlo. Bring on the corn!"

"Shut up," Chloe muttered, giving Lois a playful shove. "Come on, we'll get you set up in my room, and then I'll show you around!"

"You mean there's something _other_ than corn and cows here?" Lois asked teasingly, picking her up bags and following Chloe up the porch stairs.

* * *

"Welcome to downtown Smallville," Chloe said grandly, holding out her arms to gesture to Main Street.

"Is there even anything to do here?" Lois asked, looking around, obviously bored with the sights that greeted her.

"Of course there is," Chloe defended. "I mean, sure, it's no Metropolis, but it's still got some fun stuff."

Lois pursed her lips, taking another look around. "If you say so." She turned to Chloe, requesting with a grin, "Show me your world, cuz."

Chloe's enthusiasm returned and she grabbed Lois's hand, eagerly heading down the sidewalk. "Let's go to the Talon!"

They stopped in front of a shop that had a marquee with some clever saying about coffee on it, a colorful sign identifying it as the Talon.

"So this is the local teen hangout, huh?" Lois asked, pushing open the front door and looking around at the Eygptian-esque decorations and cozy setting. "Seems a little…tame."

Chloe rolled her eyes and reminded Lois once more, "This isn't Metropolis, Lo."

"I was thinking more of Gotham," Lois said with a shrug, letting Chloe lead the way to the counter.

"Hi Lana," Chloe greeted the girl behind the counter happily. "This is my cousin, Lois."

Lana smiled sweetly at Lois. "So, this is the famous Lois Lane. Chloe talks about you all the time. It's nice to meet you."

"I hope only good things," Lois teased, elbowing Chloe.

"Are there any good things?" Chloe shot back, grinning.

Lois gave her an injured look before turning back to Lana, "It's nice to meet you too. Chloe's told me a lot about you too."

"My life can't be nearly as interesting as yours," Lana said with a laugh. "I've only ever lived in Smallville, but you've lived all over. It must be amazing to see the whole country."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," Lois admitted, "Sometimes I barely have time to unpack before we're leaving again." The momentary admission left her looking vulnerable, so she smirked and added, "But, then I don't have to worry about long goodbyes and all the sentimental crap."

"Chloe!" a voice behind them called.

All eyes turned to find a tall boy with dark hair, a pretty face, and a horrendous clothing choice of plaid and farmer jeans coming towards them.

"I was looking for you," he added, smiling at Chloe.

"Hi Clark," Chloe said, returning the smile. "What did you need?"

However, before Clark could respond, Lois interrupted loudly, "Oh, _you're_ Clark!"

Clark frowned, turning to look at Lois for the first time. At the unfamiliar face, he looked back at Chloe for an explanation.

"Uh, Clark, this is my cousin, Lois Lane. Lois, this is Clark Kent," Chloe introduced, slightly embarrassed at her cousin's outburst, but it wasn't any less than she'd expected.

Lois looked him up and down, a dismissive look on her face as she finished her observation. "I expected you to be hotter."

"Lois!" Chloe cried, now completely embarrassed at her cousin's bluntness.

Clark's jaw dropped open, staring from Lois to Chloe in shock. "What?" he finally asked, looking embarrassed and confused.

Lois simply shrugged, unashamed. "Well, I've heard so much about you, I just expected you to be hotter."

Clark now turned on Chloe, who was glaring at Lois. Behind the counter, Lana seemed at a complete loss for words. However, before anyone could say anything, the door to the Talon opened and a woman came in, coming right toward them.

"Hello Chloe, Lana," she greeted, her smile warm and friendly. When she noticed Lois, she asked, "Who's this?"

"My cousin, Lois Lane," Chloe answered with a weak smile. "Lois, this is Clark's mom, Martha Kent."

Martha gave Lois the same warm smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, Lois. Chloe has been telling us all how excited she is to have you here for the summer."

"As excited as I am to be here," Lois said with forced cheer.

"Why don't you come over for dinner tonight, dear? We'd love to have you."

Lois was about to politely decline, until she saw the pleading face Clark was giving his mother, subtly shaking his head. Thinking that it might be fun to mess with the farm boy, Lois gave Martha wide grin and agreed. "I'd _love_ to, Mrs. Kent."

Clark groaned, his shoulders slumping.

* * *

"Behave yourself," Chloe reminded Lois as they walked up the dirt driveway of the Kent farm.

Lois rolled her eyes. "I _know_, Chloe. You've only told me fifty times since Mrs. Kent invited us over."

"Well, I didn't think I had to _tell_ you." She shook her head. "I can't _believe _you said that to Clark!"

"How was _I _supposed to know it was taboo to tell Clark he was unattractive?" Lois asked in exasperation.

Chloe threw her cousin a glare. "You _know_ that's not what I'm talking about."

Lois refused to answer, instead glancing around at the place Clark Kent called home. It was a small yellow farmhouse with a red barn and sprawling green fields. It was…quaint. Homey, even.

The two girls climbed up the stairs and Chloe knocked on the door before opening it and walking in. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent? We're here."

"Hello girls," Martha greeted, turning from the stove and taking off her oven mitts. "The boys should be in soon. Just finishing up a few chores in the barn. Make yourselves at home. Dinner will be ready in a little bit."

Chloe led Lois into the living room, assuring her, "Mrs. Kent is the _best_ cook."

"Anyone's better than the General," Lois put in with a smirk, taking in the framed pictures on the mantle. "I'm surprised Clark's baby pictures aren't on display."

"Clark's adopted," Chloe informed Lois with a shrug.

Lois turned in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. The Kents adopted him when he was three."

"Oh." Lois frowned, her brow furrowing. She returned her gaze to pictures, her gaze landing on one of Clark in grade school, a huge smile on his face, brilliant blue eyes shining.

In the kitchen, the screen door banged open and a multitude of male voices followed. Chloe grabbed Lois's hand, grinning. "C'mon, you've got to meet Mr. Kent and Pete."

"Pete? Your friend Pete?" Lois asked, once more letting herself be led by her energetic younger cousin.

"Mr. Kent, Pete, this is my cousin, Lois," Chloe introduced immediately to an older man standing by the counter and a dark-skinned boy by Clark. "Lois, this is Jonathan Kent and Pete Ross."

Pete's eyebrows rose, a grin appearing on his face. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Lois."

Lois arched an eyebrow, immediately picking up on the flirtatious look on his face. "Not in this lifetime, buddy."

Jonathan cleared his throat, turning attention away from Pete's shocked expression. "We've heard a lot about you, Lois."

"That's what I keep hearing," Lois confessed, "But I haven't heard _what_ was said about me."

"Maybe that's for the best," Clark muttered.

Lois's eyebrows rose in mock surprise. "Oh _my_, it actually talks."

"When there's actually someone worth talking to."

"Clark!" Martha cried, shocked at her son's callous words.

Lois, though, was grinning. "It's okay, Mrs. Kent. I appreciate that Clark's _trying_."

Martha glanced between Clark and Lois, eventually shaking her head. "Well, dinner's ready."

Everyone moved to the dining room, where for a while there was the only the sound of silverware hitting plates.

"This is great, Mrs. Kent," Lois complemented Martha eventually, having had enough of the silence.

"Thank you, Lois," Martha said warmly. "Does your mother cook often?"

Lois pressed her lips together, briefly wondering why Chloe hadn't informed everyone about her mother. "Oh, my mom's dead."

Martha's eyes grew wide, apology clear in her expression. "Oh my, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

Lois waved the words away. "Don't worry, Mrs. Kent. She's been gone since I was six."

There was an awkward silence for a moment before Jonathan asked, "What made you want to come to Smallville for the summer?"

"Oh, I didn't _want_ to," Lois answered immediately, without thinking it over, "The General exiled me for going out and getting drunk with another girl on the base." This time, the silence extended for a much longer period, with Lois getting a few incredulous looks. When it got to be too much, Lois confessed, "I didn't mean to say it like that. I just have this foot-in-mouth thing…"

"I think we could tell," Clark put in lowly.

Lois turned to him with a scowl. "Quiet over there, Smallville."

Clark looked confused at the name. "What did you call me?"

"I called you Smallville. I think it's the perfect nickname. Don't you?"

Before the conversation could escalate into a fight, Pete asked Lois, "Do you have any siblings?"

Lois gave Clark a smug look before she turned to Pete to answer. "A sister. Her name is Lucy, and she's two years younger than me. She goes to school in Switzerland because she's a genius."

"So that's why you're here then?" Clark asked, looking quite proud of himself for the insult.

"Clark Kent!" Jonathan scolded, a frown on his face. "Lois is our guest. You'll treat her with respect."

Clark looked properly reprimanded, sinking slightly in his seat. Lois stuck her tongue out at him victoriously.

* * *

"Thanks again for dinner," Lois told Mrs. Kent as she and Chloe headed for the door.

"I told you it was no problem, Lois. Come over any time," Martha invited, giving both girls another warm smile as they both waved goodbye.

It wasn't until they were both well down the driveway before Chloe asked, "What was that about?"

Lois frowned, turning to her cousin in confusion. "What?"

"You and Clark," she clarified.

"What about me and the boy wonder?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "_That_. The teasing. It seemed… It kind of seemed like you were flirting."

Lois snorted at the idea. "Oh God no, cuz. I was giving him a hard time. It's fun because he gets so flustered trying to think of a comeback."

"So…" Chloe looked small and unsure, and Lois didn't like that one bit. "So you don't like him?"

Lois wrapped an arm around her cousin's shoulders, giving her a loving squeeze. "Of course not. Middle of nowhere farm boy might be your type, but it is _certainly_ not mine."

Chloe's smile was a bit more normal now. "Good." She paused before adding, "I mean, not like he's my _boyfriend_ or anything like that, it's just –"

"You don't have to explain it to me, Chlo," Lois reminded her gently. "I get it. If no one else does, I get you."

Chloe grinned up at Lois, wrapping her arm around her in return. "I know, Lo. It's what cousins are for."

"Exactly."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter one! It means a lot, especially since this is my first Smallville story C:**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Smallville.**

* * *

"What exactly are we doing?"

Chloe rolled her eyes at the question, refusing to answer as she began examining the tree in front of her.

Lois had been in Smallville for almost a week now, and it hadn't gotten any more interesting. That morning, however, Chloe had promised her they'd be doing something exciting that day. Lois, though, didn't find studying trees very exciting.

"What's so special about this tree?" Lois asked, trying to get _something_ out of Chloe.

Chloe finally caved and answered, "There was an…incident out here late last night. It was in the papers. A girl was found comatose here early this morning, with a weird puncture wound in between her neck and shoulder. She was missing a _lot_ of blood."

Lois raised a doubtful eyebrow. "So…what? Smallville has a case of the vampires?"

Chloe gave Lois a look. "I suspect a meteor freak."

"Oh. Right. The people who get crazy powers from radioactive green rocks that you're obsessed with. How could I have forgotten?" Lois crossed her arms over her chest, glancing around. "Well, I don't think you're gonna find anything here, cuz."

Chloe sighed, tucking her camera back into her bag. "You're right. I'll have to find a lead somewhere else."

"Ah, journalism," Lois commented, following Chloe out of the woods.

"Don't knock it," Chloe insisted, "Journalism's in your blood, Lo."

"I think I'll take a pass on that." Lois frowned as she got the feeling she was being watched, goosebumps crawling over her skin. "Especially if it involves tramping around in the woods looking for vampires."

"_Meteor freaks_," Chloe stressed.

"Whatever." Lois got the sudden feeling that someone was behind her, but when her head whipped around to look, there was nothing but trees. _You're imagining things_, she told herself, taking a deep, calming breath.

* * *

"Did you find anything about our blood-stealing friend?" Pete asked, leaning back in his seat.

Chloe sighed, shaking her head and idly stirring her coffee. "No. There was no trace of anything out of the ordinary happening out there."

"I don't get how you guys are so used to this," Lois commented. "You're acting like it's _normal_ that someone could just wake up one day and want to suck the blood out of people."

"In Smallville, it _is_ normal," Lana told her as she set Lois's coffee down in front of her. "A couple more weeks here, and you'll see it as normal too."

Lois scoffed. "No offense, Lana, but I don't think I'd ever want to get used to any life than had an extended involvement with super-powered criminals."

"That's a part of Smallville," Chloe put in with a shrug.

"Good thing I'm not staying, then," Lois muttered, taking a long sip of her drink.

"Good thing," Clark repeated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lois threw a scowl at Clark before frowning at her drink. "I think I forgot to ask for sugar." She stood up, taking her drink to the counter. "Hey, Lana, can I get some sugar?"

"Can I?" a voice asked from beside her.

Lois turned, raising an incredulous eyebrow. Her gaze met tall, dark, and handsome in the flesh. He gave her a smile and his white teeth glinted in the light. "Wanna say that again?"

His grin grew and he leaned on the counter casually. "I asked if I could have some sugar. Just like you did."

"Cute."

"I thought so." He offered her his hand, saying, "I'm William. Are you new around here? I'm sure I'd remember you."

Lois took his hand, shaking it a little harder than was necessary, but he didn't wince. "Lois. Nice line."

William chuckled, but before he could say anything else, Lana appeared with the sugar Lois had requested. "Sorry, Lois."

"No problem, Lana," Lois assured her with a smile.

"So," William prompted, "Where _are_ you from?"

Lois gave him a look, pouring a generous amount of sugar into her coffee. "Not _Smallville_. I can tell you that right now."

William grinned, following Lois when she began heading back to the table. "I hope this isn't too forward of me, but would you be interested in going out sometime?"

Lois paused, turning back around to face him. "Hmm… Will you be using cheesy lines the entire time?"

"Only if you want me to."

Lois pressed her lips together to hide a smile. "Alright. When?"

"Tomorrow night? We can meet here at seven."

"Sounds good." Lois turned to head back to the table, throwing over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow."

As she approached the others, Chloe asked, "Did I just see you talking to a _senior_?"

"Is he?" Lois asked, sliding back into her seat. "He asked me out for tomorrow night."

"Get out!" Chloe grinned, giving Lois a playful shove. "You've only been here a week and you're already being asked out."

"It's what I do, Chlo," Lois teased, taking another, much _better_ sip of her coffee. Neither seemed to notice Clark's suddenly sour demeanor.

* * *

"How do I look?" Lois asked as she came down the stairs.

Clark, Chloe, and Pete all looked up from the movie they were watching in the Sullivan's living room. Lois did a little turn, showing off her short skirt and tight red tank top with a black jacket over it.

"You look great, Lo," Chloe assured her, grinning. "As always."

"Is that all you're wearing?" Clark asked.

Lois fisted her hands on her hips, glaring at Clark. "It's the middle of the _summer_, Smallville. I'm not going to wear a parka."

"Still," Clark muttered, slouching in his seat and rolling his eyes.

"Well, I'm off," Lois said, heading for the door. She glanced over her shoulder to give Chloe a wink. "Don't wait up, cuz."

As she was shutting the front door behind her, she heard Clark asking, "What does she mean by that?"

Lois rolled her eyes, a slightly fond smile on her face.

* * *

"So, you're saying that you beat a _Russian _at a drinking game?" William asked, his eyes almost as wide as his grin.

Lois nodded, smirking. "I may have had a little help from a secret ingredient, though."

William raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."

"Oh no." Lois shook her head. "That's something I don't tell until the third date."

"Darn," William teased, a mock disappointed look on his face. "I guess I'll just _have_ to go out with you on two more dates."

"If I _let_ you, big boy," Lois teased back. She paused in front of her uncle's house, nodding at it. "Well…this is me."

William glanced up at the house before back at Lois. "Do…do you maybe want to go for a walk?"

Lois bit her lip, taking a quick look at her watch before nodding. "Sure. A walk couldn't hurt."

"I know this great place. It's beautiful and quiet. You don't have to worry about running into other people," William told her, leading the way down the sidewalk.

"Sounds peaceful," Lois commented.

"It is." William reached over, taking Lois's hand in his. She glanced at him, but didn't say anything or try to take her hand back. They walked in silence for a bit as they left the houses and people of Smallville behind, heading into the woods Lois had been in with Chloe just yesterday morning.

"It's…uh…kind of dark in here," Lois said, blinking to try and adjust to the sudden darkness. It had been dark last time, but at least then the sun had been shining and could be seen somewhat through the foliage. At that moment, even the moon was hiding behind the clouds.

"Mhm," William agreed quietly. Suddenly, he stopped and turned to Lois. "Lois, has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful?"

Lois chuckled. "How can you tell? We can barely see each other."

She felt William getting closer, felt the heat radiating off of him. "You smell so…good…" he whispered, leaning down. Lois instinctively tilted her chin to receive his kiss, his lips soft and insistent against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, felt his hands on her waist. She felt him pushing her back against a tree, felt the rough bark against the backs of her legs and through her clothes, but didn't care.

Eventually, William's mouth left hers, trailing down her chin to her neck. She felt his mouth opening against her skin and held back a soft moan. However, in the next moment, there was a sharp sting, almost like a needle, piercing her skin.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Lois demanded, planting her hands on his chest and trying to push him away.

However, William held on, his teeth digging into her flesh. Lois let out a shriek as pain tore through her body. Still, she kept trying, to no avail, to push William off of her. It was no use. He was too strong.

Lois's resistance faded as her strength did, her eyes falling closed against their will. She was going to die here, in the middle of nowhere at the hands of some freak enhanced by meteor rock. What a way to go out.

Suddenly, William was gone and Lois slumped back against the tree. "Am I dead?" she asked herself, but then caught sight of two shadows fighting in the woods before her, the moon passing from behind the clouds aiding her sight. She squinted, groggily trying to figure out what was happening. She heard a cry of pain before she saw a shadow standing before her. She glimpsed a glint of brilliant blue before she passed out.

* * *

"Lois?"

Lois blinked, her vision slowly returning. The first thing she saw was Chloe standing over her, concern etched into her features. When Lois's eyes opened, relief took over Chloe's face. "Chlo?" Lois asked, her voice hoarse.

"Thank God," Chloe muttered, wrapping her arms around Lois as well as she could. "I thought I'd lost you, Lo."

"Can't get rid of me that easily," Lois teased, putting the thoughts she'd had about dying in the back of her mind. "What the hell happened?"

"You met the most recent meteor freak. Our vampire friend." Chloe gave her a sympathetic smile. "We've all fallen for their fake charm before, Lo."

Lois shook her head before wincing at how much that made her neck burn. "I should've known when he asked me to take a walk where no one would find us."

Chloe chuckled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, probably."

The door to the hospital room opened and Clark entered tentatively. "Oh, you're awake."

"Hoping I wouldn't wake up, Smallville?" Lois asked teasingly.

Clark gave her a look, coming up on her other side. "Of course not." He gave her a slight smile. "I'm glad you're okay, Lois."

"Are you going to tell me that you always knew he was bad news?"

Clark's lips twitched. "I won't say it."

Lois gave him an eyeroll. "Oh, shove it, Smallville."

"So," Chloe started, "How did you get away? His other victim…she died from all the blood loss. But, you got away somehow before he could take that much blood."

Lois thought back to when she'd tried to push William off, when he'd begun draining her blood and she'd become weak. "I wasn't strong enough to push him off," she explained, "I tried but I _couldn't_. I…I gave up eventually. I just got so tired and weak. Then, he was just…_gone_."

"Gone?" Chloe repeated with a frown.

"Gone," Lois confirmed.

"No one…helped you?" Clark asked almost hesitantly.

Lois gave a careful shrug, taking care not to hurt her neck wound. "Not that I saw." She turned to Chloe. "So, when can I leave this hellhole? I _hate_ hospitals."

"Yet you always end up a patient in them," Chloe put in with a grin. "The doctor said that you can leave when your neck heals up a little bit and you regain your strength."

Lois rolled her eyes and groaned. "In other words, not today."

"No, not today," Chloe agreed. "But at least you _can_ leave."

Lois glanced at Clark before agreeing, "You're right, Chlo. I was lucky."


	3. Chapter 3

**I forgot to state in chapter one that for this story, the whole plot about the tornado never happened, and that Clark and Chloe never went to the dance together. Other than that, though, everything from Season One is the same. Also, I didn't really mention it, but Lana doesn't really play a big role in this story, as she didn't really have overwhelming feelings for Clark at the end of Season One, and that's what I'm going by. However, she does have a bigger role in the sequel.**

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! **

**Disclaimer: Yeah…still not mine.**

* * *

Lois had been in the Talon for all of five minutes before Clark was walking up to her table, a slight smile on his face. "Hey, you're out of the hospital."

Sighing, Lois set down her coffee and resigned herself to conversation. "Yeah. I got out of prison yesterday."

Clark chuckled, pulling out the seat next to her and sitting down. "How do you feel?"

Lois shrugged. "Still a little weak, but the doctor said I should be back to normal in the next couple days. I'm going to have a scar on my neck, though."

"You are?" Clark asked, his brows coming together in concern.

She immediately waved away the concern. "Oh, don't worry. It's just one among my hundreds. Trust me, I have _much_ worse scars." Lois reached for her left sleeve, pushing it and her bra strap out of the way to show a faded round scar on her shoulder.

"Is that a scar from a _bullet_?" Clark asked, horrified.

Lois chuckled, righting her sleeve. "Don't worry. It's not what you're thinking. When Lucy and I were kids, we found one of the General's guns." She rolled her eyes at the stupidity of the story. "He'd left in a hurry that day, something big was going on, and he'd left it sitting on his desk. Of course, we weren't _supposed_ to be in his office, so he probably thought it'd be safe, but _regardless_, Lucy grabbed it, accidently fired, and I got _this_. Could've blown my damn head off." Clark still looked horrified, so Lois decided it was time to change the subject. "Have you seen my cousin today?"

"Don't you _live_ with her?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "You live with your parents; do you always know where they are?"

"They usually tell me when they're leaving," Clark answered, either missing or ignoring her sarcasm.

"Yeah, well, I was still sleeping when she left. I didn't know if she'd said something to you about where she was going or not."

"She told me she was going to the _Torch_ today to do some research for a summer project."

"Which means she's probably investigating another meteor freak," Lois inferred, admiring her cousin's ability to constantly chase after such dangerous people, while at the same time worrying like hell about her. Those freaks were dangerous. She'd witnessed it firsthand.

Clark's lips quirked up in a smile. "Yeah, probably."

"So, what's up with you, Smallville? Milk any cows lately? Take the tractor for a joy ride? Fight the chickens for their precious eggs?" Lois asked jokingly, grinning.

"Har har," Clark muttered, a grudging smile on his face. "Farm life isn't always that glamorous, you know. Usually it's just mucking stalls, but sometimes, there's a fence that's needs to be fixed or the tractor needs work. That's when life gets _really _interesting."

Lois couldn't help the laughter that came at his joke, rolling her eyes at his sarcasm. "You're learning, Smallville."

"Gee, thanks." Clark stood up, pushing his chair back in. "I should probably get going, though. I really do have chores. I am glad to see you're okay, though, Lois." He gave her another smile before heading for the door.

Lois watched his retreating back with a small smile on her face before finally taking a sip of her now lukewarm coffee.

* * *

"I'm finally beginning to see why everyone likes Clark Kent," Lois commented, kicking her feet up onto Chloe's desk.

Chloe glanced up from the book she was leafing through on her bed. "Oh?"

"Mm," Lois hummed in response, idly glancing at the collage of photos Chloe had over her desk. "He's just so _nice_ to everyone. I treat him like an annoying little brother, and he still asks if I'm okay and visits me in the hospital and worries about me having been _shot_." She shook her head incredulously. "How is _anyone_ that nice?"

Chloe laughed. "Well, that's Clark Kent for you." She sat up, closing her book. "You told him the Lucy and the gun story, then?"

Lois gave Chloe a smirk. "I had to. I showed him the scar and he got so _horrified_, like he thought I'd been in a gun fight or something. Seriously, what did you _tell_ everyone about me?"

Chloe smiled mysteriously, still refusing to answer. "I almost forgot, Mrs. Kent invited us over for dinner tonight, but I had forgotten that I told Lana I would go to the movies with her."

"That's okay, I'll tell her," Lois assured her, dropping her feet off the desk and standing to go rifle through her clothes for something to wear.

"You're beginning to like it here, aren't you?"

Lois paused before turning to Chloe with a frown. "What, you mean in _Smallville_? Hardly."

Chloe pressed her lips together to hide a smirk. "Seriously. I know you like Mr. and Mrs. Kent, and you just admitted to liking Clark, and you spend plenty of time at the Talon."

"The Kents are great people, regardless of where they live, I said that I could _see_ why people liked Clark, and the Talon has _coffee_. None of that means I like it here. I mean, seriously, I was almost killed by a _vampire boy_."

Chloe shook her head at Lois's deflection, refusing to press the issue. "Tell Mrs. Kent I'm sorry about the mix up."

"Alright," Lois agreed, going back to her wardrobe, unaware of her cousin's smug smirk.

* * *

"So is this your clubhouse?" Lois asked teasingly, watching as Clark turned in surprise from the window.

"Lois," Clark greeted belatedly, leaning back against the windowsill. "Where's Chloe?"

Lois finished climbing the steps to the loft, taking a seat on the couch and making herself at home. "She forgot she told Lana they could go to the movies, so you're stuck with just little ol' me."

Clark chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh, how will I ever survive?" He grinned at Lois's eyeroll. "Are you coming to Crater Lake with me, Chloe, and Pete tomorrow?"

"Oh, you mean Smallville's excuse for a beach?" Lois's smile softened the blow of her harsh words. "Of course. If I'd known there was a place to cool down two weeks ago, I would've been spending every day there."

"Can't handle the heat?" Clark asked, a challenge in his eyes that Lois couldn't refuse.

She answered with a scoff. "Bring on the heat, Smallville. I can take it."

Clark smirked, raising a doubting eyebrow. "We'll see."

Lois narrowed her eyes in response, but then her gaze landed on something beside Clark. "Why do you have a telescope?"

"I like looking at the stars," Clark answered with a shrug.

"I should've figured you'd have a telescope," Lois commented, "They _are_ for geeks and stalkers."

Clark gave her a look. "And which do you assume I am?"

"Probably a little bit of both, I'd say." Lois grinned as he rolled his eyes at her. "Don't feel bad, Smallville. I just tell it like I see it."

"Why would I ever take offense from that, Lois?" Clark asked, sarcasm coating his words.

Before Lois could think of some witty retort, a male voice coming from the stairs asked, "Did I just hear Clark Kent use sarcasm?"

Both turned to find Lex Luthor climbing the stairs, a smile on his face. Lois was momentarily thrown to see a billionaire rich kid in Clark's loft, but recovering quickly, telling him, "I've been introducing him to the finer things in life."

Lex turned to her, a curious look on his face. Seeing this, Clark introduced, "Lex, this is Chloe's cousin, Lois Lane. Lois, this is Lex Luthor."

"Lois Lane, huh?" He stepped closer to Lois, holding out his hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Lois."

Lois sat up, shaking his hand with a raised eyebrow. "You too, Luthor. Now, why the hell are you here?"

"Lois," Clark groaned, unable to believe the extent of Lois's bluntness.

"No, it's okay, Clark," Lex assured him. "It's a reasonable question, one that Lois isn't out of line in asking." He casually slipped his hands into his pockets as he told Clark, "I actually came to talk to you." He glanced at Lois meaningfully. "In private."

Lois rolled her eyes, standing from the couch. "You could've just _asked_ me to leave. I probably would have." She headed for the stairs, throwing over her shoulder, "See you at dinner, Smallville."

As soon as Lois had left the barn, Clark asked, "So?"

"I figured you would want to know that Roger Nixon is no longer a problem," Lex told him, leaning back against the railing.

"What do you mean 'no longer a problem'?" Clark asked worriedly.

Lex gave a slight smile, shaking his head. "Just believe me when I was he won't be bothering you or your family again. I don't know what he had on you –"

"Thank you, Lex," Clark cut in before Lex could get around to _asking_ what Nixon had had on him.

"It's no problem." Lex glanced over his shoulder at the entrance of the barn. "So, Lois Lane. What happened to Lana?"

Clark flushed immediately, his words coming out rushed and awkward, "N-no! I-it's not like that!"

Lex smirked, which only served to make Clark blush even more. "Ah. I see." His smile dimmed and he leveled a serious look at Clark. "You know, it's okay to like other girls besides Lana, Clark. She's not the only girl in Smallville and is certainly not the only girl in the world."

Clark sighed, leaning heavily on the windowsill. "Yeah. Yeah, I know. But…well…Lois is only here for this summer. Besides, she hates me. Or, at least, she likes to pick on me more than she likes _me_."

Lex's smile returned and he started over to the stairs. However, he paused for a moment to ask, "Clark, have you ever heard that young boys like to pull the pigtails of the girls they like? They like to torment them, and pick on them, _because_ they like them." As he headed down the stairs, he called over his shoulder, "Just something to think about."

Clark was left with a dumbfounded look on his face.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Chloe asked as they approached Crater Lake.

Lois took in the small lake and small surrounding beach with pursed lips. "It's…quaint. Like everything else in Smallville."

"At least quaint it better than tame," Chloe muttered, leading Lois over to where Clark and Pete were waiting. "We've finally arrived, guys. Lois took forever to get ready."

Lois shrugged, unashamed. "I couldn't decide between green and blue."

"Green and blue what?" Clark asked in confusion. "You're wearing a red shirt." In response, Lois pushed off her shorts and pulled off her t-shirt, revealing a tiny dark blue bikini. "Oh…that…" Clark mumbled, his face considerably paler.

"Yes, this," Lois agreed distractedly. "Did you think I was going swimming in a t-shirt and shorts?" She shook her head at Clark's apparent ridiculousness before heading straight for the lake.

Pete watched Lois's retreating back, shaking his head slowly. "Does she know how hot she is?"

Chloe rolled her eyes as she sat down beside the guys. "_Yes_. She does this on purpose just to make guys flustered. Lois has been…_developed_ for quite some time, and has loved flustering guys since."

"Just flustering though, right?" Clark asked.

"Are you asking me if my cousin is a _slut_, Clark Kent?" Chloe teased, arching an eyebrow.

Clark flushed and sputtered out, "N-no! I-I didn't _mean_… I mean I-I…"

Chloe laughed, giving Clark a playful shove. "I'm kidding, Clark! _Yes_, she just flusters. Sure, she's had her fair share of boyfriends, but further than that? Not that I've heard. And we pretty much tell each other everything."

"Oh," Clark said simply, watching as Lois dove off the dock, disappearing into the water below. "I uh…I think I'm gonna go for a swim." He stood up, shedding his t-shirt before heading for the lake.

Chloe worried her bottom lip, watching Clark for a moment before turning to Pete. "Pete?"

Pete turned to her, frowning at her troubled look. "What's wrong, Chloe?"

"Does…does Clark like Lois?"

Pete looked almost surprised at the question. "Where would you get that idea?"

Chloe gave a shrug. "I don't know…it's just that…he asks about her a lot. And…the way he looks at her… He used to look at Lana like that. Haven't you realized that he's had a startling lack of Lana-zone-outs lately? Now he's always looking at _Lois_."

Pete sighed, scooting closer to Chloe, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I think you're making something out of nothing, Chloe. Lois and Clark just like to get under each other's skin. You've seen the way they joke around with each other. I don't think it means what you're thinking it does."

"You're right," Chloe sighed, rolling her eyes at her own absurdity. "I'm just over thinking everything."


	4. Author's Note

Just wanted to tell everyone that I have NOT given up on this story. I haven't been able to post any more chapters because my sister's laptop, which I had been using, has had problems and needs to be worked on. Hopefully, I will be able to post once her laptop has been fixed, if the files from it can be retrieved. If not, I'll have to rewrite and it'll take longer before I can continue posting. Thank you for your patience and support.


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